Genealogists' Corner

March 2000 Note: Web addresses have been hotlinked. When the original address given has failed, the hotlink has been eliminated. When we could find an alternative URL, it has been added in square brackets & is marked with asterisks.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 52 No. 1 - July 1999

GENEALOGISTS' CORNER

By Cindy Drake, Library Curator

Biographical Dictionaries, Directories, and Biographies

   Biographical dictionaries and directories usually were created to tell about the accomplishments of individuals who share a common discipline or field. Basic information on birth, marriage, family, and death is included, which may lead to additional sources to verify the life of an individual. These are usually devoted to famous people. These dictionaries or directories, if no longer in print, may have been reprinted or may be available on microfilm or in online databases. Some of these include Who's Who in America, Men and Women of Science, and others.
   The Biography and Genealogy Master Index is an ongoing indexing project of biographical works. It started in 1980 as a five-volume index set by Gale Research Company. Supplemental volumes for each year have followed with cumulative sets being published every fifth year. Today it is an index to nearly twelve million biographical sketches in more than 2,700 volumes and editions of current and retrospective reference books, covering both contemporary and historical figures throughout the world. It is available on microfiche, as an online database, and on CD-ROM.
   Biographies are the stories of a person's life. They are a secondary source that may include genealogical information on the individual. They are more likely to be found in a local history collection at the local or state level. Biographies are generally cataloged first under the locality and then under the subject heading "Biography," for example, "Nebraska-Biography" or "Cass County, Nebraska-Biography."
   As mentioned in other columns, county biographical albums were popular from about 1880 to 1920. Families paid to have their biographies appear in these publications. Some are fairly accurate, while others may contain errors. Even with these inaccuracies, they may supply information that can no longer be found in other sources. Biographical sketches can also be located in newspapers in a variety of formats such as birthday announcements, testimonials, and feature articles.
   The American Genealogical-Biographical Index (Rider's Index) is the largest and most comprehensive index to family histories. It was started in 1942 and is an ongoing project of the Godfrey Memorial Library in Middletown, Connecticut. It is considered the largest and most comprehensive index to American family histories since it contains over twelve million records. The major emphasis is on pre-1900 United States, with some of the following valuable collections indexed: Boston Transcript genealogical column (over two million personal names); complete United States 1790 census; and published Revolutionary War records from most of the original American colonies. Ancestry.com has acquired the exclusive electronic publishing rights to these records, and they are available online (http://www.ancestry.com under Find Your Ancestors/Most Popular Databases) and on CD-ROM. The Historical Society had the ongoing original volumes until we transferred them to the Union College Library collection, where they are continuing to purchase the volumes. The completed set is expected to number between 205 and 210 volumes.
   Although the Historical Society no longer has the American Genealogical-Biographical Index in its library or a complete set of the Biography and Genealogy Master Index, we strive to collect biographies of Nebraskans via donations and purchases. In house indexes are available to various Nebraska biographical sources from the state and local level.

Genealogy Tip of the Month
The Family History Library launched its website (http://www.familysearch.org) on May 24,1999. The site's search engine looks through Mormon records of 400 million names of people who lived as long ago as 1500, many of them with pedigree charts, as well as through 4,000 other websites devoted to genealogy. With upwards of 30 million hits the first day, the site had to close down for several hours because of computer overload. I found that by June 1, the site was easier to access than it was the first week. Besides the "Search for Ancestors" page, check out "Libraries" under "Browse Categories." This is where you can search the online catalog of the Family History Library.

New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists
   The Carmack Family, [compiled] by Charles W. Peckham. (Family in Douglas County).
   An Index to South Carolina Genealogy Records on the Internet: (index to online records), [compiled] by John Rigdon.
   Roubidoux History, [compiled by] Hugh M. Lewis. (Family in Scotts Bluff County).
   Sanks in America, [compiled] by Robert R. Sanks. (Family in Dawson County).
   Civil War Veterans Buried in Wayne County, compiled by Richard Metteer.
   The Vincent Family: Descendants of Charles Vincent of Yonkers and Descendants of Adriaen Vincent of New Amsterdam, edited by Sheridan E. Vincent, et al. (Families in Cass and Lancaster Counties).
   Robert Frederick Wissler and Elizabeth Orisberger Wissler Family History, [compiled by Sharon Moser Snook]. (Family in Pawnee County).
   A History of the Beauchamp Family and Some Allied Lines [compiled] by Rosemary B. Brown. (Family in Nemaha County)
   Genealogy of the Busacker Family from 1848 to 1991: also the autobiography and memoirs of Ralph A. Busacker, 1911 to 1991, [compiled by Ralph A. Busacker]. (Family in Otoe County).
   Our Frerichs Family Ancestry: (Before 1700-1997), [compiled) by Hertha Oestmann Remmers. (Families in Nemaha and Otoe Counties).
   My Life on the Frontier, by J. A. W. Hudson; compiled and edited by Sibyl H. Goemer. (Family in Hitchcock County).
   The Ancestors and Future Generations of the Mark James Molloy and Anna Laura (McHenry) Malloy Families, compiled by Michael Brent Malloy. (Family in Burt County).
   Swayer-Mathews Families of Central New York State: Ancestors & Descendants and Allied Families, [compiled by] William S. Bergen. (Irish American family in Blaine County).

   Thank you to those who have donated towards the purchase of the two parts of the 1999 Supplement to the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index. We have raised $235 to purchase Part I, and it was ordered in June. Donations are still being accepted for an additional $235 to purchase Part 11. Please indicate this title with your monetary donation. Thank you.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 52 No. 2 - Aug 1999

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES WISH LIST
   The following list consists of interesting titles from or about Nebraska we were pursuing through online auction houses, rare book dealers, and donation requests. For various reasons we were unable to acquire them for our collections. If you are aware of the availability of other copies of these titles, please contact Library Curator Cindy S. Drake at 402-471-4786 or e-mail to: nshsO5@nebraskahistory.org

   The Bird Decoy: An American Art Form, a catalog of carvings exhibited at the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery Lincoln, Nebraska, edited by Paul A. Johnsgard, 1976.
   Bilz Fireworks Catalog-1938, Omaha, Nebraska.
   Buffalo Bill's Great Wild West Show, by Walter Havighurst and illustrated by John C. Wonsetler. Published by Landmark Books, New York, 1957.
   C. W. Anderson's Favorite Horse Stories, collected and illustrated by C. W. Anderson [19671. (Anderson was born in Wahoo.)
   Christmas Chimes 1928, an annual Christmas publication issued by 'Me Young Peoples Leagues of The United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church. Published by the Danish Lutheran Publishing House in Blair. (We have the 1952 and 1954 editions.)
   Constitution and By-Laws of the Eagle Independent Telephone Co. Incorporated May 1, 1906, Eagle Nebraska. Printed by Beacon Print, 1910. (We do not have any telephone books from the Eagle Independent Telephone Company.)
   Davey in the Sand Hills, by Anne M. Hallady [1951]. (Story based upon a Presbyterian missionary family in the Sand Hills of Nebraska.)
   Dobberstein Registry: Genealogy and History of 19th Century Dobberstein Immigrants from Prussia and Their Offspring in America, by Robert Cole, 1999. (Family from Prussia who immigrated to the Midwest during the mid-to-late nineteenth century, and whose descendants moved to Nebraska and other neighboring states.)
   Ernest K. Gann's Flying Circus, by Ernest K. Gann, 1974. (According to the table of contents, he stopped in Nebraska.)
   Experiences of a Pioneer Evangelist of the Northwest, by W. B. Hill, 1902. (The author of this book was an evangelist among the early settlers of the Northwest for many years. Some of the places mentioned in this book are Rock County, Minnesota, The Battle Creek Sanitarium, North Dakota, and Nebraska.)
   Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, published by the Hornady Manufacturing Company of Grand Island, 1968 (2nd printing). (We do not have any publications from this company in our library.)
   Household Arts Dept., Omaha World-Herald, 1936. Recipes personally tested/prepared under the direction of Nadine Bradley, director of the World-Herald Household Arts Department. Published by the World Publishing Co., Omaha.
   A Lockhart Family in America, privately published by Anna May Cochrane Gregarth, 1972. (Four generations of frontiersmen in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Chronicled families include: Alexander, LeCounte, Cochrane, Stafford, Nail, Elliott, Kilian, Smith, Ruote, Hermann, Gregarth, Jones, Laffoon, Valentine, Parrish, Burchett, and Nelson.)
   Reference Passage Bible-New Testament, compiled by I. M. Jones, 1912. Published by the Alpha Publishing Co., Lincoln.
   The Tattler, by the Blair High School. (We have references to the following issues that were published: 1/1916; 3/1917; 5/1917.)
   10 Wrong Ideas About Farm Engines, by Cushman Motor Works, Lincoln, 1919.
   Tillotson, Tillison and Tillitson, by Margaret Tillotson Ragsdale, 1999. (includes Nebraska families.)
   Warp's Review Books, 1926, 1933, 1934, and 1942. Published by Warp's Publishing Co., Minden. Some examples include: Kansas History, Agriculture, Grammar, Government, Arithmetic, Physiology, Geography, and Seventh Grade Arithmetic.
   Warp's Teachers' Examination Question and Answer Book: Algebra, compiled by Oscar Warp, published in Minden in 1927.
   What Do I Do Now? A Guide to Correct Conduct and Dress for Business People, by Mildred M. Payne, instructor of stenography, office practice, business etiquette Kearney State Teachers College, Kearney, 1940.
   We are still seeking donated copies of Lincoln City Directories from 1996 to the present. Donations are still being accepted for an additional $235 to purchase the 1999 Supplement to the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, Part II. We were able to purchase Part I at a discount total of $197.75 so we have $37.25 to use toward Part II. Please indicate this title with your monetary donation. Thank you.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 52 No. 3 - Sep 1999

GENEALOGISTS' CORNER

By Cindy Drake, Library Curator

Library Curator Cemetery Records
   Cemetery records are one of the first sources genealogists should check when researching death dates to locate obituaries. The two major forms of these records are (1) sexton's records (kept by the person responsible for the records of a cemetery) and (2) tombstone (monument, headstone, or gravestone) inscriptions. Other cemetery records that may exist include church burial registers, cemetery deed and plot registers, burial permits, and grave opening orders. These records may be the only information available regarding the birth and death of an ancestor.
   Sexton's records may or may not exist for individual burials, and for small or medium sized cemeteries (as in most of Nebraska). Large city cemeteries usually have comprehensive indexes to all burials. Information in sexton's records should provide death dates and plot location, while other data (such as date and place of birth, spouse's name, other family members, dates lots were purchased, and who paid for the lot) may vary.
   Tombstone inscriptions are copied mainly by volunteers and compiled into books that are often published by local historical or genealogical societies. The information on tombstones may give only the birth and death dates by years, though complete dates (month and day) are sometimes available. Inaccuracies can exist for birth dates. Women's maiden names are not usually given. The arrangement of the graves in a lot may not have been recorded. This information could be helpful in establishing relationships. Tombstone inscriptions generally can be located in local and state genealogical and historical society libraries as well as in public libraries. For online cemetery transcriptions check the USGenWeb site at http://www.usgenweb.org. Select USGW Tombstone Project, View Registry, and than select your state to see what is available.
   A major published source to use in locating cemeteries is Cemeteries of the U. S.: A Guide to Con tact Information for U. S, Cemeteries and Their Records (Washington, D.C.: Gale Research, 1994). This source lists 22,644 cemeteries in fifty states. Local publications are more comprehensive. An example is Nebraska Cemeteries and Known Burial Sites, compiled by Georgene Sones and Dennis Norvell for the Nebraska State Genealogical Society in 1996. Another online source for cemeteries (and transcriptions) is "Cemeteries & Funeral Homes" at http://www.cyndislist.com/cemetery.htm (Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet).
   A source that is available only in our Library/Archives reference room is "Cemetery Holdings for Nebraska Cemeteries Held in the Library/Archives of the Nebraska State Historical Society." This source lists transcriptions for Nebraska cemeteries that we have in our collection. This includes material from published and unpublished sources, such as books, periodicals, manuscripts, and public records.
   We are pleased to announce the microfilming of interment records of Lincoln's Wyuka Cemetery. The records should be available in our reference room by the end of this year.

Genealogy Tip of the Month
Cyndi Howells, creator of Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Intemet (http://www.cyndislist.com) has authored another book titled Cyndi's List: A Comprehensive List of 40,000 Genealogy Sites on the Internet. This book provides a printed version of the site to help researchers prepare in advance for the time they spend doing their research online. Here in print is the organized, cross-referenced index to genealogy and family history sites on the Internet. This title is available from various sources including Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1001 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202-3897 (1-800-296-6687 or http://www.genealogybookshop.com. The price is $49.95 plus $3.50 postage and handling.
The ninth edition of the Handy Book for Genealogists has arrived in our library. If you would like to purchase your own copy it is available from Everton Publishers, P.O. Box 368, Logan, UT 84323 (1- 800-443-6325 (or http://www.everton.com/ads/9-handy-book.htm). [*http://www.everton.com/evertonpublishersinc-67/mck-htdocs/order-handybook.html*] The price is $34.95 plus $1.50 shipping.

New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists
   John and Mary (Jones) Airy and William and Mary (Jones) (Airy) Pray, [compiled] by John M. Airy. (Families in Jefferson, Seward, and Morrill counties).
   Letters from William and Mary Brockmeier's Grandchildren, [compiled by David C. Buman). (Family in Pawnee County).
   George Michael Eller and Descendants of His in America: Including Information on Related Families of Vannoy and Van Noy, McNiel, compiled by James W. Hook. (Families in Washington, Hitchcock, and Clay counties).
   Early History of the Cozad Community: Pioneer Families, 1873-1998, by Charles E. Allen.
   Stolte Family History: The Descendants of Wilhelm and Elizabeth Stolte, compiled by Bethel Stolte. (Family in Hitchcock County).
   The Ridder Family History, 1646-1996, [compiled by Mary V. R. Heinrich]. (Family in Cuming County).
   Research Guide to Genealogical Data in Seward County, Nebraska, compiled by Patricia G. Collister, published by the Nebraska State Genealogical Society, 1999.
   Memories: Esther Tonner, by Esther Tonner. (Tonner, Nielsen, and Christensen Families [Danish- Americans] in Boyd County).
   Index to Butler County, Nebraska, Cemeteries, consolidated index compiled by Margie Sobotka, published by the Eastern Nebraska Genealogical Society, 1996.
   Skeedee Cemetery, Nance County, Nebraska: Also a Brief Fodlesong Genealogy, [compiled by Chester Fleetwood]. (Families in Boone and Nance counties).
   Immigrant George Hoos, 1802-1891, of St. Joseph County, Indiana, and Known Descendants: Including Charles Christian Hoos and George Peter Hoos, Early Pioneers of Richardson, Madison, and Antelope Counties, Nebraska, [compiled by Dave and Liz McCord].
   Twelve Generations of Lewises in America, 1634-1997: Edmund Lewis (1601-1651) to David Franklin Lewis (1992- ), [compiled] by Delbert F. Lewis. (Family in Red Willow County).
   Wayne County, Nebraska, Newspaper Abstracts 1876-1899, compiled by Maureen M. Lee. (Family in Wayne County).
   Praest Family History, [compiled by Mary V. R. Heinrich]. (Families in Cuming and Stanton counties).
   Smock, Bryan and Bush Genealogical Family Histories, compiled by Betty A. W. Carter. (Family in Nuckolls County).
   Blowouts, Blizzards, and Bunk, by Freida M. Steenrod. (Todd Family in Morrill County).
   The Woerners: History of the Woerner Family, 1700-1995 [compiled] by Betty A. W. Carter. (Families in Nuckolls and Dakota counties).

NEW HOURS FOR LIBRARY/ARCHIVES REFERENCE ROOM
Effective September 7, 1999, the Library/Archives Reference Room will be open to the public 9:30- 4:30, Tuesday through Friday; 8-5, Saturday; and will be closed Sunday and Monday. Headquarters administrative offices will be open 8-5, Monday through Friday.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 52 No. 4 - Oct 1999

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES WISH LIST
   The following list consists of interesting titles from or about Nebraska we were pursuing through online auction houses, rare book dealers, and donation requests. For various reasons we were unable to acquire them for our library collection. If you are aware of the availability of other copies of these titles please contact Library Curator Cindy S. Drake at 402-471-1786 or mail to: nshs05@nebraskahistory.org
   Ancestree Climbing in the Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, by E. Evelyn Cox, 1979. (Although this book is outdated, we would like a copy for our library to add to other Nebraska research books compiled by Mrs. Cox.)
   Annual Report City of Alliance Nebraska for the Calendar Year 1934, also one for 1935. (We have 1923, 1933, 1937, 1941, and 1945.)
   The Arts of Costume and Personal Appearance, by Grace Margaret Morton, 1943. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York. (Ms. Morton was an associate professor of Home Economics and head of Textiles and Clothing Division, University of Nebraska.)
   Cooking With Peace, by Peace Lutheran Church, Waverly, Nebraska, 1993.
   Corn-Farm Boy, by Louis Lenski, 1954. Published by J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia.
   Correct Store Equipment for Variety Stores, from Store Kraft Mfg. Co. in Beatrice, 1915.
   Disaster 1952, by Dick Harris and Bob Donovan from WNAX radio. (Thirty pages of photographs about the Missouri River flood in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa area).
   Einspahr Family Tree, by Byron B. Einspahr, 1990. Published by Gateway Press.
   Favorite Recipes St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Nebraska 100 Years 1880-1980, compiled by Members of the Church.
   Fremont City Directory. (We do not have the year 1961 in our collection.)
   George Doll's Seed and Nursery Company Victory Garden Catalog, 1942 Spring edition, Columbus, Nebraska. (We do not have any catalogs from this company.)
   Hereford Family Favorites, a Collection of Favorite Recipes From the Members of the Nebraska Hereford Auxiliary, 1979.
   Homes of Comfort, from Adams & Kelly Co., Omaha, Nebraska, 1930. (We have reference to Volume C, but we do not have any of their volumes of house plans.)
   Illustrated History of Lincoln County, Nebraska, and Her People, two-volume set published in 1920 by The American Historical Society. (We have one copy of this set and would like an additional copy for our collection.)
   Looking at the World Through the Scientist's Eyes, 1942. Published by Warp Publishing Company, Minden, Nebraska.
   Meat Tops the Menu, presented by the National Livestock and Meat Board at the 1936 University of Nebraska-Aksarben Livestock Show.
   Official Program of the Fourth Annual Fairbury Chautauqua, August 1908, Fairbury, Nebraska.
   Parks' Songs of the South, Number 1. For male voices, published by the J. A. Parks Company, York, Nebraska, 1896.
   Phantom Homestead, by Otis Dunbar Richardson, 1975.
   Pioneers Dream in 1882. History of the city of McCook, Nebraska, from 1882 to 1932, published by the McCook Daily Gazette.
   Primer of Parliamentary Practice, by Awana H. Slaker, State Parliamentarian, Nebraska Federation of Women's Clubs, 1936. (We have a 1927 edition.)
   Omaha Board of Trade Annual Reports. (We have reference to the fourteenth report, which was for the years 1890-91. We do not have any of these reports in our collection.)
   Saint Margaret Mary's Autograph Cookbook, collected and arranged by the Guild and Altar Society, 1937.
   Sonderegger Nurseries Garden Catalog, 1930, by Sonderegger
   Nurseries and Seed House, Beatrice, Nebraska. (We have 1929, 1935-39.)
   Special Song Book of the Buffalo Bill's Combined Wild West Great Pawnee Bill's Far East. (Sixteen-page songbook, 1910-12, containing tunes from their show.)
   Standard of Perfection for Domesticated Land Fowl & Water Fowl, published for & by The American Poultry Association, Buffalo, New York, and printed by Jacob North, Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska, 1969 edition.
   Successful Hairdresser, by Kathryn Wilson. Published by the California School of Beauty Culture, Omaha, Nebraska. (We have a reference to the 6th edition.)
   Twenty-Second Automobile Directory, Kearney County, Nebraska, 1958, by the Minden and Axtell Merchants and Professional Men.
   Wilson Family History and Genealogy. Printed in the early 1950s by the Nebraska Beacon Print, sixty-four unpaginated pages. (No stated author.)
   Winging It! by Jack Jefford, 1990. (Reference to barnstorming days in Nebraska.)
   Wonderful Dolls of Paper Mache, by Jo Elizabeth Gerkin, 1970. Published by Doll Research Associates, Lincoln, Nebraska.

CURRENT EXHIBITS IN THE LIBRARY/ ARCHIVES
The Library/Archives Division maintains six small exhibit cases in the main hallway of the Society headquarters building at 1500 R Street. These changing exhibits highlight documents and photographs from the Library/Archives collections. Current exhibits are: That Time of Mental Awakening: Willa Cather's University Years; A Nebraskan Goes to NATO: General Alfred M. Gruenther; The Rest of the Story: The Halls of Hallmark; and Music from the Soil of The American Midwest:: Howard Hanson. Additionally, two exhibits describe services and materials offered by the Library/Archives.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 52 No. 5 - Nov 1999

GENEALOGISTS' CORNER

By Cindy Drake, Library Curator

Census Records

   Since 1790 the federal government has compiled the federal census of population every ten years. The 1850 federal census was the first census to record the names of every member living in the household. Census records before 1850 gave only the name of the head of the household along with statistical information regarding other family members. The 1890 census for most of the United States was destroyed in a fire in 1921. A seventy-two-year moratorium exists for releasing census information, so the latest census available is for 1920. The 1930 census will be released in the year 2002. Census records for individuals on the 1930 (currently) or later census years may be requested from the Bureau of the Census in Jeffersonville, Indiana, with an "Application for Search of Census Records" form. Contact NSHS for an application form.
   The National Archives has custody of the federal census records. All federal census microfilm that is currently available for public use may be used in the National Archives and the regional records center facilities across the country. Federal census microfilm is available from various sources for personal and institutional use and may also be rented from sources such as Heritage Quest (AGLL) and the Family History Library. A few libraries (such as the Family History Library, Mid-Continent Library in Independence, Missouri, and others) have complete sets of federal census records, while most state libraries (historical societies, large public libraries) have all of the films for their state or region. Printed and online indexes may exist for entire census years or for particular years for states or individual counties. The AIS index is a thirty-five-million-name index that is available online from Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/rootsweb.asp) [*http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/census/ais/main.aspx*] as part of membership. The AIS index is "a composite of AIS census indexes for the 1790 to 1850 census indexes and some from the 1860 to 1880 censuses."
   A special index called a Soundex was created for the 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses. The Soundex groups all surnames by sound. The 1880 Soundex includes only families with children under ten years of age. The Soundex for the other years does not exist for every state. For example, Nebraska has a Soundex for 1900 and 1920, but not for 1910 or for the 1930 census when it is released.
   Clues in census records from 1790 to 1840 may help you determine date of birth, military service, and immigration information as well as occupation and economic data. Clues in census records from 1850 to 1920 may help determine date of birth, place of birth, date of marriage, number of children, information on immigration and naturalization, foreign-born parents, service in Union or Confederate army or navy, real property, and economic data.
   A good source for those just starting to use census records is a chapter titled "Taking Names: Finding Census Records" from the book First Steps in Genealogy: A Beginner's Guide to Researching Your Family History, by Desmond Walls Allen. A more advanced chapter titled "Research in Census Records" by Loretto Dennis Szucs is found in The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy (Revised Edition), edited by Szucs and Sandra H. Luebking. Some other useful sources in using census records include: Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives; and Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920, by William Thorndale and William Dollarhide. A new book that we just ordered for the library is The Census Book: A Genealogist's Guide to Federal Census Facts, Schedules and Indexes, by William Dollarhide. It is advertised to be a "comprehensive review of census schedules and identifies every known index ever published," and to have a "complete tabulation of all U.S. Federal Censuses including non-population census scheddes and where the records are located today."
   State censuses were scheduled by many states in the five-year periods between the federal census (for example, 1885, 1895, and 1905). They are useful for locating families between the years when the federal census was taken. The 1885 or 1895 censuses are useful as a replacement for the 1890 census (Nebraska has only the 1885 state census during that time period). A printed source that reviews these census records is State Census Records, by Anne S. Lainhart, 1992. Other schedules or special surveys are (1) agriculture schedules (2) industry schedules (3) mortality schedules (4) Special Census of Surviving Union Veterans and Widows (1890) (5) Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Service (1840) and (6) Native Americans (separate schedules for various years).
   The following sites might be useful in any census research online: Censuslinks on the 'Net ("http:// www.censuslinks.com/directory/" [*http://censuslinks.com/*] directs you to the US GenWeb Census Project; "http://www.us-census.org/" for which I have the direct address to Nebraska listed later in this article); Census Online: Census Sites on the Web ("http://www.census-online.com/index.html"); and Genealogy Records Service Census Tips ("http://www.genrecords.com/library.htm").
   My columns from January 1996 to August 1996 covered Nebraska population census records. I have updated and revised these columns into one handout titled "An Overview of Nebraska Census Records." You may contact me directly for a copy. A more comprehensive reference leaflet is available from the reference staff titled Nebraska Population Census Records, which gives a listing of the contents, indexes available, holdings, and format for all of the Nebraska census records. This is Reference Information Guide No. 2 and must be requested by title. Another Reference Guide No. 2 is titled Nebraska Territorial Census Enumerations 1854-1857, which gives the exact citation to locating territorial census records in the periodical titled Nebraska and Midwest Genealogical Record. For a current listing of Nebraska census transcriptions available online check ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/census/ne/. [for more complete list please see *http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ne/state/statable.htm* and select "census" category.] The transcriptions for several counties from the 1870 census are available as of October 1, 1999.

Genealogy Tip of the Month
   Reviews that I have read lately about new books available for genealogists include: Finding Your Roots: How to Trace Your Ancestors at Home and Abroad, by Jeane Eddy Westin, 1998;
   Organizing Your Family History Search: Efficient & Effective Ways to Gather and Protect Your Genealogical Research, by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, 1999; Family History Made Easy, by Loretto Dennis Szucs, 1998; Past Imperfect: How Tracing Your Family Medical History Can Save Your Life, by Carol Daus, 1999.
   Check them out at your nearest library or have your librarian see if they are available on interlibrary loan.

New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists
   The Descendants of Orin B. Crandell, 1806-1884, compiled by Darlene James. (Crandell and Holscher families in Otoe and Cass Counties.)
   Rousselle, [compiled by Ruth A. Borchers]. (Rousselle, Pariset and Owens families in Saline and Seward Counties.)
   Early Clintonville (and Grove City) and the Bull and Smith Families, [compiled] by Nancy J. Pendleton. (Starr and Bull families in Franklin County.)
   The Wheeler Family, compiled by Donna W. Bathke. (Wheeler and Lapping families in Boone County.)
   The Descendants of Richard Davies: From Wales or England to Omaha, Nebraska, by Mary D. Huhman. (Family in Douglas County.)
   Joseph Hrabe, Sr., of Rooks County, Kansas: Some of His Descendants, compiled by Delmer W. (Del) Hrabe. (Czech-American family in Douglas County, Nebraska: Republic and Rooks Counties, Kansas.)
   My Father's Life, by Lillian J. Hall. (Swedish American family in Harlan County.)
   The Story of Joseph Mueller of Council Bluffs, Iowa and his German Forebears and American Descendants, [compiled] by Ralph S. Mueller. (German-American families [Schindler and Mueller] in Lancaster County.)
   The Descendants of Nathaniel Owens, Sr.: and Frances (Turner) Owens, Susannah (Bass) Owens, Sarah (Wishard) Hill Owens, compiled by Ruth A. Borchers. (Owens family in Banner and Seward Counties.)
   Descendants of Richard and Mary Sisson: Ten Generations from 1608, [compiled] by Joan and David Sisson. (Sisson and Russell families in Cherry and Cass Counties.)

   Donations are still being accepted for an additional $235 to purchase the 1999 Supplement to the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, Part 11. I have also received the advertisement for the 2000 Supplement that will also have Part 1 and Part 2. If purchased before December 31, 1999, each volume would be $228 plus shipping. Please indicate this title with your monetary donation. Thank you.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 52 No. 6 - Dec 1999

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES WISH LIST
   The following list consists of interesting titles from or about Nebraska we were pursuing through online auction houses, rare book dealers, and donation requests. For various reasons we were unable to acquire them for our library collection. If you are aware of the availability of other copies of these titles please contact Library Curator Cindy S. Drake at 402-471-4786 or E-mail: nshs05@nebraskahistory.org.
   An Awful Name to Live Up To, by Jessie Hosford, 1969. (Juvenile fiction by a Nebraska author).
   Belle, A Scottish Lass, A Colorado Pioneer, by Alice Taylor Bamford, 1988. (A nonfiction account of the life of Isabelle Hamilton Taylor, who grew up in Nebraska and Colorado in a sod house with eight siblings).
   Dandelions, by Eve Bunting, 1995.
   Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company, Beatrice, Nebraska, Publications: General Catalogue No. 12, 1928, Dempster Mill Mfg. Co.; Running Water for Better Farming Better Living (no date given).
   Dundee Presbyterian Church, Fiftieth Anniversary Cookbook, 3rd ed., compiled and edited by the Women's Auxiliary 1951. (We have the 1930 ed.)
   Eaton's True Blue Contest Speller, by the Omaha School Supply Company, 1934. (We have the 1948 ed.).
   Industrial Drawing Handbook for Teachers in Common Schools, 2nd ed., by Ida A. Tew, supervisor of drawings in public schools, Beatrice, Nebraska, 1897.
   Ladies Aid of M. E. Church Cook Book, 1908, copyright by Mrs. W. R. Sanner, printed by the Lorain Banking Company-Lorain Printing Company W. R. C. of Lorain.
   Northwestern School of Taxidermy and J. W. Elwood Supply Company Publications: Chieftan Brand Taxidermists Supplies Catalog #123, 1953; Lessons on Taxidermy. A Comprehensive Treatise on Collection and Preserving all Subjects of Natural History, by Prof. J. W. Elwood, 1905; Northwestern School of Taxidermy, Omaha, Nebraska, Catalog No. 96, Taxidermists' Supplies, 1940; Northwestern School of Taxidermy, Omaha, Nebraska, Nebraska Taxidermy Taught by Mail, 1930 brochure.
   Map and Street Directory of Omaha, 1950.
   Official Course of Study for the Elementary Schools of Nebraska, Grades I-VIII, 2nd Printing, November 1941, by Charles W. Taylor, state superintendent of public instruction. (We have the 1895, 1899, 1902, and 1903 editions).
   Ohio Yearly Meeting of Friends, held at Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, in 1874. (Reports and finances from district meetings, which include a section on Indian affairs dealing with Sioux Indians in Nebraska).
   Omaha's Bell, by Penny Hayes, 1999. (Fictional book about frontier days in Omaha).
   Our Favorite Recipes Old and New, 1931-1933-1971, by the Lexington Mrs. Jaycees, Lexington, Nebraska.
   Phantom of Organic Evolution, by George McCready Price, professor of geology, Union College, Nebraska, 1924.
   Recipes From the Martha Gooch Kitchens, by Gooch Food Products Co., Lincoln, Nebraska, 1960.
   Tasty Tips, compiled by The Papio, Prancers Square Dance Club, Papillion, Nebraska, 1996.
   Wimmer's 50th Anniversary Cookbook: Exciting, Easy, Economical Recipes Using Wimmer's Fine Sausage Products, 198-.

   Donations are still being accepted for an additional $235 to purchase the 1999 Supplement to the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, Part II. We have received the advertisement for the 2000 Supplement that will also have Part 1 and Part 2. If purchased before December 31, 1999, each volume would be $228 plus shipping. Please indicate this title with your monetary donation. Thank you.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 52 No. 7 - Jan 2000

GENEALOGISTS' CORNER

By Cindy Drake, Library Curator

Church Records

   The most important Christian church records used by genealogists include those of baptisms (christenings), marriages, and funerals. They are considered primary source documents and may be used before and after the time periods that states, counties, or cities required vital records. Before you attempt to locate your ancestors in church records you should review county histories for the establishment dates and names of area churches. Most church records are filed with the church, but if a church disbanded they might have been given to a neighboring church, a church archives at the state or national level, or the local or state historical society. One source to check for addresses and phone numbers of religious archives and organizations is "Ethnic and Religious Organizations and Research Centers," which is Part 3 of The Genealogist's Address Book by Elizabeth Bentley (4th ed.). Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet has a link for Religion and Churches at http://www.cyndislist.com/religion.htm which includes a listing of libraries, archives, and museums as well as other links to this topic.
   The types and format of church records vary depending upon the denomination. Catholics and Lutherans record baptisms carefully in church ledgers with the name of the person baptized, the names of his or her parents, the date and place of birth, and the date of baptism. The same is done with marriage records, but the content may vary with some listing only the bride, groom, and date and others listing the witnesses' names. The same is true for death and burial records. One church or denomination may record only the name and date of death, while others may provide birth dates and birthplaces. Vital records may be located in other church records such as confirmation records, membership rosters, and church census records, as well as in religious newspapers.
   A good website for learning more about church records is Lesson 17 of RootsWeb's Guide to Tracing Family Trees at http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lessonl7.htm. An excellent published source is Chapter 6 (pp. 149-70) in The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy (rev. ed., 1997), edited by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking, which is titled "Research in Church Records," by Richard W. Dougherty. It is also available on the web at http://www.ancestry.com/home/source/src145.htm. Another published source on church records is Chapter 20 (pp. 423-63) in The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy (2nd ed.), by Val D. Greenwood.
   The NSHS Library/Archives no longer microfilms Nebraska church records. Reference Information Guide No. 6, "Nebraska Church Records in the Manuscript Collections of the Nebraska State Historical Society," lists all church records we currently have in our collection. This guide may be requested from our reference staff. Church records included in the above guide that appear on microfilm are available on interlibrary loan through your local library with our standard prepaid fee of $5.

New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists

   Back in Those Days, by Ruth E. B. Anderson. (Borg and Anderson family in Dixon County.)
   The Holm Family: Three generations, compiled by Bill Beck. (Family in Custer County.)
   The Kunz Family, compiled by Linda R. Newberry.
   (Dettman, Gustin, Hettrick, Kaczmarek, Swarts, and Meyerhoff families in Cass and Kimball Counties.)
   Lainson Family History: History of the Lainson Family of England, United States of America, Canada and Australia, compiled, researched, and written by Geraldine T. L. Clement. (Lainson, Faunce, and Guill families in Adams, Douglas, Burt and Otoe Counties.)
   The Root Family Story, by [Gad B. Root]. (Family in Saline County.)
   Family History of Joseph Anton Sand (Joseph Sand): A Nebraska Pioneer, Immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1838, compiled by Paul F. Sand. (Family in Otoe County.)
   A Guide to Research for Butler County, Nebraska, [compiled by Rosalyn Chmelkal and published by the Nebraska State Genealogical Society.
   The Story of My Life, by Eula Jean M. H. R. Nowels. (Hering, Russell, and Seaman families in Red Willow County.)
   [Ign. Klima, Sr. Family Album], by [L. G. Klimaj. (Czech American family in Valley County.)
   Vencil Krikac Family, by [L. G. Klima]. (Czech American families of Krikac and Klima in Custer and Valley Counties.)
   The Laytons: A Westering Family, by Mike Layton. (Layton and Barger families in Scotts Bluff and Custer Counties.)
   Phelps County, Nebraska, Marriages, compiled by Dick and Marjorie Dyas.
   Vojtech Klima Family, by [L. G. Klima]. (Czech American families of Tvrdik, Klema, Voracek, Klima, Puffer, and Vsetecka in Valley and Custer Counties.)
   Thomas Vodehnal Family, by [L. G. Klimaj. (Czech American families of Vodehnal, Kluna, and Sich in Valley County.)

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 52 No. 8 - Mar-April 2000

GENEALOGISTS' CORNER

By Cindy Drake, Library Curator

City Directories

   City directories for cities or towns usually include the names and occupations of the residents, as well as lists of all the businesses in town. City directories help you locate an ancestor in a specific locality at a specific point in time. They are useful in locating families in federal and state censuses when the census records are not indexed. The address will help you locate the precinct or ward on maps (sometimes printed within the directory) of the city. With that information census guides should help you locate the enumeration district number for the area in the city where the family lived so you have to check only one district in the census records to locate your family. City directories often indicated if an individual was an owner, renter, or boarder. If they owned property, the address helps in locating property and tax records.
   City directories before and after 1900 included only the head of the household, the address, and the occupation of the person listed. Later directories included other members of the household, as well as telephone numbers. Some directories included a separate section where the streets are listed alphabetically, followed by the house numbers and the name of the resident (a "reverse" street directory). This section is useful in locating other relatives or friends who may have lived in the same area.
   Reviewing multiple years of city directories for the same family will help you determine when they arrived (especially for immigrants), address changes, and if they left, the year they were no longer listed. The year of death for the head of the household may be determined when after several years the name changes to another member of the household. There are some directories that even included the names and death dates of residents who died the previous year.
   Always check city directories for other information besides surnames. The major features can include street and business directories, advertisements, information regarding civic and social institutions, hospitals, cemeteries, orphanages, etc. If you locate the names of churches that were nearest to the address where your ancestor lived, you can contact them (if they are still in existence) for records regarding your family, or the church archives for that denomination.
   City directories normally were published every year and in most cases were printed on cheap paper. Most city directories and gazetteers from the 1800s and early 1900s may be crumbling, and in some cases the only way they have been saved is if local, state, and national organizations or publishing companies have preserved them on microfilm or microfiche.
   Past and present city directories should be in the town or city public library, local and state historical societies, as well as in regional and national libraries such as the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress has its list of city directories for nearly seven hundred American cities, towns, and states, on the following website: http://www.kinquest.com/genealogy/resources/citydir.html. Some other repositories with large collections of city directories include the Family History Library in Salt Lake City; Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana; New York Public Library in New York City; and the New York State Library in Albany (http://unix2.nysed.gov/genealogy/citydir.htm). In some cases the collections of these libraries may include not only original volumes, but microfilm and microfiche of city directories from such companies as Research Publications, Inc. (a division of Primary Source Media which microfilmed city directories before 1861 for the fifty largest cities in the U.S.) and Heritage Quest. Primary Source Media at
http://www.citydirectories.psmedia.com/ has posted more than two hundred city directories on its website. They are posting more directories from later years, but at present they have ninety nine major cities posted from the year 1859. Although some free search is available at this site, you must subscribe to have access to the entire collection.
   In the NSHS Library we maintain a collection of city directories for Nebraska. Early city directories for Lincoln, Omaha, and Hastings are available on microfilm (up to the 1940s for Omaha and early 1970s for Lincoln and Hastings). They are available in their original format for later years for these three cities and for Beatrice, Kearney, South Sioux City, Fremont, Grand Island, North Platte, Norfolk, Nebraska City, McCook, Falls City, and Scottsbluff. The years we have are available on request. We plan to have the list available on our website later this year. Our holdings in some cases are incomplete, so we are always willing to review donated copies for gaps in the collection. Please contact me if you are aware of city directories that might be available as donations. I am still seeking donated copies of the Lincoln City directories after 1996.
   Update: I mentioned a URL in my January/February column for The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy (rev. ed.) which is no longer active. The current URL is
http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3259.

New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists

   Tapestry: A Partial History of Some Pioneer Families of Polk County, Nebraska, by Hazel M. Cunningham. (Also includes the Burritt and Pointer Families.)
   The Norland Family Tree, 1824-1979, [compiled by Orville A. Norland). (Norwegian American Families in Garfield and Custer Counties.)
   The Steinauer Family Tree, compiled by Mary Susan Miles, with the help of Katherine Anne Wehrbein and Martha Mae Miles. (Family in Pawnee County.)
   Vincent Family Records, compiled by Sheridan E. Vincent and Cecil LaVerne Vincent. (Families located throughout Nebraska.)
   Finding a Place Called Home: A Guide to African American Genealogy and Historical Identity, by Dee Parmer Woodtor, 1998.
   The Carpenter Ranch: Cyril Carpenter's Sandhills Ranch at Whitman, Nebraska, 1908-1995, by Gloria L. Hayden and Eugene B. Hayden. (Families in Cherry and Buffalo Counties.)
   Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor, by Bertram H. Groene, 1996.
   William and Elizabeth Dalton: [In the Beginning], by Jean D. Harper. Family in Webster County.)
   Diary of George McKinney Dunkle: August 25, 1862 to November 29, 1864; 112th Regiment Illinois Volunteers, Company D, transcripts by Mary W. Greenwald. (Family in Cass County.)
   Joseph Hansel Family, [compiled by Harold and Mae Hansel]. (Families in Lancaster and Gage Counties.)
   Marriage Records, Dodge County, Nebraska: 20 Apr. 1910 to 07 Oct 1912, by Clarabelle Mares for the Eastern Nebraska Genealogical Society, 1999.
   The Census Book: A Genealogist's Guide to Federal Census Facts, Schedules and Indexes, by William Dollarhide, 1999.
   Urbanek Family History: 250 Years (1745-1995), [compiled by Bill Urbanek]. (Czech American Family in Stanton County.)
   The Williams, Prince, Norman, Cox and Allied Families, [compiled] by John Mitchell Williams. (Families in Douglas County.)

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 52 No. 9 - May-June 2000

GENEALOGISTS' CORNER

By Cindy Drake, Library Curator

County Records

   County records are found in most local courthouses throughout the United States. The most commonly used records for genealogists include vital, marriage, deed, and probate records. The original records are found in county courthouses, except when they have been transferred to local historical societies or state archives. Usually this occurs after they have been commercially or privately microfilmed. Many county records have been microfilmed by the LDS Church, making them available in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and its branches worldwide.
   Copies of official vital records such as births and deaths may be available at the county level, but many states (including Nebraska) maintain them only at the state level. Marriage records are usually located in the counties, but may also be on file at the state level (as in Nebraska) after a certain time. They are usually found in the county where the couple was married or in a neighboring county. There should be a Direct Index (to names of the grooms) and an Indirect Index (to the names of brides) in the same or separate books.
   Deeds transfer title in real property from one owner to another. Researchers use the Grantor (Seller) and the Grantee (Buyer) Indexes to locate individuals in these records. Tax and assessment records also record property information. Probate records are created at the time someone dies to settle the estate. If they include a will they usually mention the deceased's children, which helps identify family members.
   In early years, variant spellings of surnames should be checked. Place names were misspelled, and political boundaries were changed, so one might have to search the courthouses of two or more counties to find a particular record. County seats also changed, and a courthouse may have been burned or flooded. The Handybook for Genealogists by Everton Publishers provides information about county formation and specific county records.
   For more information about county records consult The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy by Val D. Greenwood (several chapters, including one titled "Court Records"); The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy edited by Lou Scuzs and Sandra Luebklng (still in print as well as available at http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3259. See the chapter titled "Research in Court Records"); County Courthouse Book by Elizabeth Petty Bentley. (This title covers the type and availability of key courthouse records and their services. It is also available on CD-ROM under the title The Genealogist's All-In-One Address Book and includes Benfley's other two books, The Genealogist's Address Book and Directory of Family Associations.)
   I am making a one-time appeal for donations to purchase the book Meyers Ors-und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs (with researcher's guide and translations of the introduction, instruction for the use of the gazetteer, and abbreviations by Raymond S. Wright III). This massive gazetteer was originally published 1912-13. It "describes approximately 210,000 cities, towns, hamlets and dwelling places in the German Empire prior to WWL It is an essential tool for locating information about every inhabited place in the former Empire." Because of the number of German immigrants to Nebraska, this would be a useful source in our Reference Room. A special price of $259 for the three volumes is available through June 15. If you wish to contribute towards this purchase, send your donation to my attention at our address with the notation "Meyers." Thank you.

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES WISH LIST

   The following list consists of interesting titles from or about Nebraska we were unable to acquire for our library collection. If you are aware of the availability of copies of these titles please contact Library Curator Cindy S. Drake at 402-471-4786 or E-mail to: nshsO5@nebraskahistory.org.
   Better Gardening, Easy Manufacturing Co., Lincoln, Nebraska. (Catalog of garden machinery from the early 1930s.)
   Cedar Rapids, Nebraska, 1884-1984. (We have one copy in our collection and would like to locate a second copy.)
   Country Kids Cookbook, Wallace District #60, Hastings, Nebraska, 1993.
   Dawson County, Nebraska, Atlas and Plat Book, 1979-1980.
   The Disguised Wayfarer and Other Stories of Swedish Pioneer Life in America, by Just Adolph. (Published in 1926 by the Covenant Book Concern of Chicago. There are references to places in the Midwest including Nebraska.)
   Favorite Recipes. Published by The Ladies Aid of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Twenty-third and N Streets, Lincoln, Nebraska. (Danish recipes, date not given.)
   Iowa Beef Processors, Inc. An Entire Industry Revolutionized!, by Dale C. Tinstman and Robert L. Peterson, 1981.
   Nebraska American Legion Auxiliary Culinary Gems, 1989.
   New Reconstructions in the Yale Peabody Museum. Merycoidodon gracilis Leidy, Merycoidodon culbertsonii Leidy, Daphoenus vetus Leidy, 1923. American Journal of Science, Vol. VI, No. 32, pp. 91-99. (Offprint of the American Journal of Science regarding oreodonts and the rich paleontology of the Nebraska Tertiary fauna.)
   Saline County, Nebraska, Plat Book, 1949. (Published for the Saline County Farm Bureau.)
   Some Principles and Rules for Right Eating Formulated From the Teachings of Viola Mizell Kimmel, 1922. (Mrs. Kimmel was from Creighton, Nebraska.)
   United Methodist Church Cookbook--Members and Friends, Aurora, Nebraska, Community Cookbook, 1995.
   Woman's Club Cook Book, compiled by the Bassett Woman's Club, Bassett, Nebraska, 1930.